Slate of new principals takes shape in Washington County

The new school year is bringing leadership changes throughout Washington County, and for the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District, in particular, there'll be a need for more than a few introductions.

"This is kind of a unique year," school board chairwoman Amy Coborn said.

The district, which in 2012-13 served 10,715 students in Washington and Ramsey counties, will have seven new principals this fall after retirements and the departures of others who opted to pursue new challenges elsewhere. Jim Miklausich, who as principal last year at Richardson Elementary School in North St. Paul became a high profile advocate for all-day kindergarten, was hired by the Shakopee Public Schools to be a junior high principal. He had testified at the State Capitol and hosted a visit to Richardson by House leaders.

Who will succeed him will not be known until later this month. But the district has named five of the seven new principals, including two educators who will fill the vacancies at both schools on the dual campus of Skyview Community elementary and middle schools in Oakdale.

The elementary school, which in 2012-13 had 608 students, will be led by Travis Barringer, the principal last year at River Crest Elementary School in the Hudson (Wis.) School District. His resume includes experience as a teacher in Indonesia.

Joe Slavin, who went from being an elementary principal to an administrator in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district, will return to the building level as the new Skyview middle school principal. Coborn said Slavin's past experience as a school leader should ease concerns that may arise from having two new faces at the Oakdale campus.

"For us, it was a great fit," she said.

Although the district lost Jim Miklausich to the Shakopee Public Schools, his wife, Jill Miklausich, will return as principal of John Glenn Middle School in Maplewood. In addition to the Richardson vacancy, the district also must hire a new principal at Carver Elementary School, district spokeswoman Jennifer McNeil said.

In the South Washington County School District, the county's largest with 17,600-plus students, Rich Romano, the principal last year at Crestview and Nuevas Fronteras elementary schools in Cottage Grove, has moved 4 1/2 miles to take the helm at Newport Elementary School. His new assignment includes overseeing the district's federally-funded Title I programs. About 60 percent of the 253 students at Newport Elementary qualify for free or reduced price lunches.

The district has yet to name Romano's replacement at Crestview/Nuevas Fronteras.

The Stillwater Area Public Schools will have four new principals, three of whom have been named. They are Don Johnson, a retired principal from Owatonna, who will be interim principal at Stillwater Area High School; Nathan Cox, most recently an elementary principal in Willmar, who will lead Oak Park Elementary; and Melissa Sonnek, an instructional coach in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district, who will take over at Marine and Withrow elementary schools.

A new principal at Andersen Elementary is expected to be announced soon, district spokeswoman Carissa Keister said.

A native of Foley, Minn., Bormann said she plans to reach out to students, parents and staff members through activities that include "lunch with the principal" visits with students.

The other two Washington County area districts — the Mahtomedi and White Bear Lake Area schools — report no changes in their principal ranks.